The 49-year-old had been staying at Newcastle Plantation House, in the St John area on the east of the island.

It is understood Mr Weare, who is listed as a director of Fylde Motors Company, on Preston Street, Kirkham, regularly visits Barbados where the family bought a property several years ago.

Police in Barbados have issued an appeal for information and today said they were treating the investigation extremely seriously.

Local media are reporting that Mr Weare was last seen in the car park of a Burger King restaurant on University Drive, in Black Rock, near to the capital Bridgetown.

It is believed he had been selling cars during his time in Barbados. According to local reports, Mr Weare was driving a silver Mitsubishi Warrior pickup with the registration number J4000.

He was wearing a white short-sleeved button-down linen shirt, royal blue chinos and a similar coloured pair of loafers.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “Our staff are supporting the family of a British man who has been reported missing in Barbados. We are in contact with the local police.”

Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss from the public relations department of the Royal Barbados Police Force said the investigation was ongoing and they were following up several lines of enquiry but were still appealing for anyone who saw anything or who knows anything about the disappearance to contact them.

Mr Inniss, from the public relations department of the Royal Barbados Police in Bridgetown, said: “I want to reassure the family and friends of Mr Weare that we are taking this very seriously and giving this matter out full attention.

“I understand it must be a worrying time for them.

“The investigation is at a very sensitive point and we had the commissioner of police down yesterday taking an interest.”

He added that the appeal for information was still ongoing and that they had no major issues or developments to report at this stage.